WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice today reached a settlement resolving
allegations of racial discrimination with the owner and operator of Eve, a
nightclub in Milwaukee, Wis. The Justice Department alleged that the nightclub
discriminated against African-American patrons by denying them admission into
the nightclub for false reasons. The settlement requires the nightclub to
implement changes to its policies and practices in order to prevent such
discrimination.

“Barring African-Americans from entering a business is offensive and unlawful,
and should be a sad relic of a bygone era,” said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney
General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will
vigorously enforce federal laws prohibiting such discrimination.”

“We will aggressively pursue claims of racial discrimination,” said Steven M.
Biscupick, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

The Justice Department’s complaint, filed on Dec. 29, 2005, alleged that Eve
nightclub, doing business as Eve, violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by
engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against prospective
African-American patrons because of their race. The suit further alleged that
on numerous occasions the nightclub denied African-Americans entry to Eve for
false pretextual reasons, such as inappropriate attire, exclusion due to a
private party, or that Eve was already full, while similarly-situated white
persons were admitted to Eve.

The consent decree submitted to the court today resolves the matter. The
consent decree, pending court approval, requires that Eve comply with federal
law by not discriminating against patrons on the basis of race; post and
enforce a non-discriminatory dress code policy; implement a system for
receiving and investigating complaints of discrimination; and conduct
monitoring to ensure that Eve’s employees are acting in a non-discriminatory
manner consistent with federal law.
Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis
of race, color, religion, or national origin in places of public accommodation,
such as nightclubs. Under Title II, the Civil Rights Division can obtain
injunctive relief that changes policies and practices to remedy customer
discrimination. Title II does not authorize the Division to obtain specific
relief, such as monetary damages for individual customers who are victims of
discrimination.